armor

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   Protective covering, often made of metal, worn by soldiers or fighters to protect the body.

   Grammar: Uncountable; no plural. Use 'a piece of armor' for one item.

   Patterns

   • wear armor
   • a suit of armor
   • body armor

   The knight put on his heavy armor before the battle.

   Modern soldiers wear lightweight body armor.

   The museum displays a full suit of armor from the 15th century.

2. 2noununcountable

   Metal or other strong material used to protect vehicles, especially military ones.

   Grammar: Uncountable; often used in compounds like 'armor plating'.

   Patterns

   • armor plating
   • vehicle armor

   The tank's armor was too thick for ordinary bullets.

   They added extra armor to the trucks for the dangerous route.

3. 3noununcountablebiology

   The hard outer covering that protects some animals, such as turtles or armadillos.

   Grammar: Uncountable; used in biology.

   Patterns

   • natural armor
   • the armor of a turtle

   The turtle's armor protects it from predators.

   Armadillos have bony armor covering their backs.

Common combinations

body armor

Police officers often wear body armor on duty.

a suit of armor

The suit of armor was too heavy for him to move in.

armor plating

The ship was reinforced with armor plating.

pierce armor

The arrow could not pierce the knight's armor.

Synonyms and how they differ

protection

Protection is a general word for anything that keeps you safe; armor specifically refers to a physical covering.

shield

A shield is a single piece held in front of the body; armor covers the whole body.

Word family

armored adjective

Protected by armor, as in an armored car.

armour noun

British spelling of 'armor'.

Commonly confused: armor or armour?

Practice

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